In years past having a successful photography business was a difficult prospect for many. However, with today’s digital technology and easy Internet access, there are many professional and amateur photographers alike, who are selling their photos and earning money hand over fist.

Yet, because there is so much potential for earning money there is fierce competition and consequently no room for mediocre photos.

If you would like to get in on this money making phenomenon and you believe in the quality of the images you take, here is some information that can give you a head start on how you can make money online through stock photography.

The first thing you want to do is find out which are the best stock photography sites, which really are popular sites that invite photographers to upload their best photographs for sale. The photos are viewed by potential buyers who come from all walks of life, from housewives to advertising executives. If the photo meets their requirements they will then purchase the photo and a portion of the sale will go to the photographer. Depending on the site the commission can range from 30-50%.

Some of the most visited stock photography sites include, iStockphoto, Stockexpert, Fotolia, Crestock and Dreamstime.

iStockphoto is one of the most popular pick by many photographers owing to its great reputation ever since its existence in 2001. It boasts a higher traffic due a vast stock of fascinating photographs and pictures of experienced photographers. This means that stocking your photograph on this site would ensure it being exposed and viewed by a wide belt of targeted audience like web designers, advertisers etc.

Stockexpert is another popular site known both for its variety and quality of photographs offered for sale. Here you can find considerably lower priced photographs that are offered for sale not only to consumers but on the stockexchange team as well. The rest of the sites I mentioned all operate in much the same way however please make sure you check out the terms and methods of payment prior to committing to them.

For most sites you can register for free which will allow you access to member areas and have the opportunity to upload your photos; it is important to remember that each of these sites retain the right to accept or reject your photos based on quality as well as a variety of other considerations.

If this is not for you there are other opportunities to market your work and earn potential income. Sites such as Cafepess and Phototrade give you the opportunity to reproduce your photographs on mugs, T-shirts and a variety of other marketable items.

During your research you will undoubtedly come across sites that seek membership payment from you but will then give you access to marketing tools which will help you attract hits from targeted visitors across the globe. Shutterpoint is one such paid site that has fees ranging $19 to $49, depending on the kind of membership you choose.

If you are looking to become rich over night this might not be for you. Quality is key in this business and you must only submit quality photos that are guaranteed to be on par with their current inventory of photos. Find out more on the guide below…

Do you really need to spell out your objectives in the process of starting a Stock Photography Business? What good can it really do?
To better appreciate the importance of identifying your business aims, let us take a rather more logical look at this thriving online business – Stock Photography!

Let’s accept it. The success of your Stock photography business may depend a lot on your corporate projection. Are you sure you have one? If not, you are setting yourself up to fail right from the start… Remember -“failing to plan is preparing to fail”.

In drafting your company plan, you must also identify your business aims. And while your main business objectives could be as easy as making the most cash from your operations, you have got to have more discernible goals. Why? Because this will help you determine how far you are from really achieving them and whether you are still on course. And this is where the SMART targeting strategy turns out to be handy.

SMART Targets – All That You need to Know about It

So , how can you have SMART targets? And what’s with this SMART targeting method that makes it quite handy in deciding the efficacy and efficiency of your goals? In actual fact each letter in the word “SMART” stands for an important criterion that makes for a well-stated business goal. Here’s what every individual letter signifies:

S = Explicit. Your business targets should be well defined and clearly stated.

M = Measureable. Your ambitions should answer the questions “how much”, “how many” and “how will My opinion is that it has been accomplished”.

A = Achievable. A well-stated business objective should be realistically feasible given the resources, time and knowledge or skills available. It answers the question “how can the goal be accomplished”.

R = Practical and/or Relevant. There should be available access to any coaching or help obligatory for meeting the target.

T = Time-bound. Your business targets ought to have a target time of completion.

As you may be able to see, SMART targets will help you work out what needs to be done in order to achieve your business objectives and provide a framework by which your outcomes can be considered. Therefore when you outline or update your Stock photography business aims, ensure you follow the SMART targeting system. It could be a great help to your business. Do it and see the difference it makes!